Iran ire at US, Polish summit

IRAN’S foreign ministry summoned a senior Polish diplomat to protest Poland’s joint hosting of a global summit with the US that was focused on the Middle East, particularly Iran, state news agency IRNA reported yesterday.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Friday the summit – to be held in Warsaw on February 13-14 – would focus on stability and security in the Middle East, including on the “important element of making sure that Iran is not a destabilising influence”.

An Iranian foreign ministry official told Poland’s chargé d’affaires in Tehran that Iran saw the decision to host the meeting as a “hostile act against Iran” and warned that Tehran could reciprocate.

“Poland’s chargé d’affaires provided explanations about the conference and said it was not anti-Iran,” IRNA said.

The Polish foreign ministry could not be reached for comment.

Meanwhile, a cultural official said a planned Polish Film Week in Iran would be cancelled if the summit plans were not dropped. | Reuters